Apparatus for mechanically gathering or collecting various commodities, refuse or the like

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for mechanically gathering or collecting various commodities, refuse or the like comprising a scissor-type boom operably secured to a mobile carrier therefor. The boom comprises a plurality of elements rotatable along a vertical axis and operably interconnected such that the rotation of the first results in a corresponding rotation of the remaining elements. Generally, the boom will comprise an elevation control member and carry a means suitable for gathering or collecting the commodities, refuse or the like which is sought to be retrieved. Essentially any vehicle may be used as the mobile carrier. A modified, low packer plate body truck is, however, preferred.

United States Patent [1 1 Dutton Mar. 12, 1974 [75] Inventor: Glenn L.Dutton, Vidor, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh,

[22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 241,533

[52] U.S. Cl 214/l46.5, 214/77, 214/151,

214/518, 214/147 G, 212/46, 212/66, 212/59 [51] Int. Cl. B66c 23/84,B60p H50 [58] Field of Search 214/518, 77, 141, 132,

3,498,474 3/1970 Pierce, Jr 212/59 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS63,288 5/1968 Germany 212/66 Primary ExaminerAlbert J. Makay [5 7]ABSTRACT An apparatus for mechanically gathering or collecting variouscommodities, refuse or the like comprising a scissor-type boom operablysecured to a mobile carrier therefor. The boom comprises a plurality ofelements rotatable along a vertical axis and operably interconnectedsuch that the rotation of the first results in a corresponding rotationof the remaining elements. Generally, the boom will comprise anelevation control member and carry a means suitable for gathering orcollecting the commodities, refuse or the like which is sought to beretrieved. Essentially any vehicle may be used as the mobile carrier. Amodified, low packer plate body truck is, however, preferred.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures lOO PAIENIEDm 12 1am sum 2 or IV APPARATUSFOR MECHANICALLY GATHERING OR COLLECTING VARIOUS COMMODITIES, REFUSE ORTHE LIKE BACKGROUND This invention relates to an improved apparatus forcollecting various commodities, refuse or the like. More particularly,this invention relates to an improved, mobile apparatus for mechanicallycollecting various commodities, refuse or the like.

Heretofore, several apparatus have been proposed for mechanicallygathering various commodities and/or refuse and then transferring thesame to a suitable carriage or storage bin. For example, several fruitand vegetable harvesters have been proposed which will permit such cropsto be removed, mechanically, from the ground or plants, eitherseparately or in groups, and transferred to a suitable carrier thereforsuch as a tractor drawn trailer. Generally, however, the basket or othermeans used to retrieve the fruit or vegetables has been somewhatdifficult to position and its operation awkward and/or slow. Similarly,several apparatus have been proposed for mechanically transferringrefuse and the like to the bed of a truck. Again, however, themechanisms employed have been somewhat difficult to align with therefuse or the receptacle containing the same and their operation awkwardand/or slow. Moreover, most, if not all, of the prior art apparatus havenot been capable of retrieving refuse when cars are parked along thestreet so as to obstruct the path between the collection vehicle and therefuse and many have employed a plurality of conveyors which are bothcostly and time consuming.

As is well known, the costs of labor in the areas of both producehandling and refuse collection continues to increase, especially in themore populous areas. Moreover, hiring and retaining dependable labor hasbecome increasingly difficult. The need for mechanically operated orautomated equipment to perform these tasks is, therefore, readilyapparent. Notwithstanding this apparent need, however, it is essentialthat such equipment be available at as low a cost as possible and thatthe same exhibit a minimum possible cycle time between pick-up anddeposit in a suitable carrier or storage bin.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of thisinvention to provide an improved apparatus for collecting or gatheringvarious commodities, refuse or the like. It is another object of thisinvention to provide such an apparatus having a means for gathering orcollecting such materials which may be readily positioned. It is stillanother object of this invention to provide such an apparatus having areduced cycle time. It is yet another object of this invention toprovide such an apparatus employing a single conveyor during the entireloading cycle. It is a still further object of this invention to providesuch an apparatus which is capable of retrieving refuse and the likeeven when cars might be parked along the curb. These and other objectsand advantages will be apparent from the disclosure set forthhereinafter and the appended drawings.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing and otherobjects are accomplished with an apparatus comprising a scissor-typeboom or conveyor operably mounted on a mobile carrier. The scissor-typeboom is fashioned such that the rotatable elements thereof will rotateabout a vertical axis and will carry a means suitable for picking-up anyof the various commodities, for which the present invention is useful,refuse or the like and depositing the same in a carrier or storage bintherefor. The carrier or storage bin may be an integral part of themobile carrier or the same may be towed thereby or by another vehicle orthe same may be fixedly or movably disposed at a remote location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partlybroken away and with certain detail omitted for purposes of clarity, ofan apparatus within the scope of the present invention showing thescissor-type boom in its return or neutral position;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, with portionsbroken away and certain detail omitted for purpose of clarity, showingthe scissor-type boom in an extended position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suitable means for picking-up anddepositing the various commodities and/or refuse which may be gatheredwith the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is'a sectional view cut along line 4-4 showing the rotationactuating means;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, with certain detail omitted for purposes ofclarity, of the scissor-type boom drive mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation, with certain detail omitted for purposes ofclarity, of the scissor-type boom drive mechanism, taken along line 6-6in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing various positions of thescissor-type boom, from the top, when a three to one gear ratio isemployed in the drive mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, with portions cut away and certain detailomitted for purposes of clarity, of still another apparatus within thescope of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation, with portions cut away and certain detailomitted for purposes of clarity, of the boom slide mounting employed inthe apparatus of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a front elevation, with portions cut away and certain detailomitted for purposes of clarity, of the boom slide mounting employed inthe apparatus of FIG. 8.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While the present invention is intended to haverelatively broad application, it is believed that the same will be mostreadily understood by reference to the preferred embodiments illustratedin the appended drawings. Referring then to FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, thereis shown a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention.As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus of the presentinvention comprises a scissortype boom 2 operably secured to a mobilecarrier 4.

The scissor-type boom, as illustrated, comprises: a first rotatableelement 6, hereinafter referred to as the primary boom; a secondrotatable element 8, hereinafter referred to as a secondary boom; anextension member 10; and an elevation control member 12. The primaryboom 6 is secured to and free to rotate about a vertical axis with driveshaft 14 while the secondary boom 8 is secured to and free to rotateabout a vertical axis with follower shaft 16. As will be pointed outmore fully, infra, the primary and secondary booms 6 and 8 are operablyinterconnected such that the rotation of secondary boom 8 is coordinatedwith the rotation of primary boom 6 with the rotation of both beingcontrolled by the rotation of drive shaft 14. The extension member 10,in the embodiment illustrated, is telescopically disposed withinelevation control member 12 which member is, in turn, pivotally mountedalong a horizontal axis to the free end 18 of secondary boom 8 withsuitable means 20 therefor.

As can be seen in the Figures, the scissor-type boom carries a means 22for gathering or collecting the various commodities, refuse or the like.In the embodiment illustrated, a cylindrical cage or basket is employedas the gathering or collecting means 22. The basket is pivotally orfloatably secured to the free end of extension member with suitablemeans 24 therefor through a bidirectional motor 26 and comprisesopposed, semicylindrical jaw members 28 and 30, each of which ispivotally or rotatably secured to a longitudinal support member 32-32.As will be readily apparent, the floatable mounting enables the basketto extend generally downward and in substantially the same position,irrespective of the position of elevation control member 12. It will, ofcourse, be appreciated that essentially any bi-directional hydraulicmotor could be employed in the apparatus of the present invention. TheSeries motor manufactured by Tyrone Hydraulics, Inc. of Corinth,Mississippi is, however, preferred.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the semi-cylindricaljaw members 28 and comprise a plurality of curved frame members 3434spaced along the periphery of said jaw members and a plurality oflongitudinal support members 36- 36. The opposed jaw members 28 and 30may be rotated about longitudina] supports 32-32 into an open or closedposition with suitable means such as cylinders 38 and 40. As can best beseen in FIG. 3, cylinders 38 and 40 are pivotally connected to motorhousing 42 at one end and to jaw members 28 and 30, respectively,through pistons 44 and 46 at the other end. It will, of course, beappreciated that the basket 22 could be fully or partially enclosed witha solid, sheet material or with a screen covering, and, in fact, suchclosure will be preferred where small, individual commodities such asfruits and vegetables are to be gathered. The basket, as illustrated,is, however, quite satisfactory for collecting such commodities, refuseor the like, especially where the same is contained in a plastic orpolymeric container.

The elevation of the gathering or collecting means 22 will becontrolled, primarily, with elevation control member 12 which is, inturn, positioned with cylinder 48. As can be seen in the Figures,cylinder 48 is pivotally secured to secondary boom 8 through plate 50 atone end while the piston 52 thereof is rotatably secured to elevationcontrol 12 at the other end. As will be readily apparent, retraction ofpiston 52 will cause the elevation control member to pivot aboutsecuring means 20 thereby lowering the basket 22. Moreover, theelevation of the gathering means 22 will be indirectly affected by theposition of extension member 10. In this regard, it should be noted thatextension member 10 may be telescoped outwardly by extending piston 54,which piston is secured to said extension member 10 through plate 56, ofcylinder 58, which cylinder is secured to elevation control member 12through plate 60. As will readily apparent, the extension of member 10will increase the distance from the basket 22 to the pivot 20 andthereby result in a lower elevation for said basket for anycorresponding position of piston 52, except when said piston is fullyextended and the elevation control member 12 not pivoted about pivotmeans 20.

The scissor-type boom 2 may be secure directlyor indirectly to themobile carrier 4 in any manner which will permit cylindrical drive shaft14 to rotate freely within the desired range. Such connections are, ofcourse, well within the ordinary skill of the art and need not be setforthin detail herein. The indirect method illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2wherein said scissor-type boom is operably connected to a suitablesupporting platform 62, which platform houses the rotationactuatingmeans is, however, preferred. As can be seen in the Figures,the supporting platform comprises an upper support plate 64 suitablysecured to upper cross members 66-66, a lower support plate 68, suitablysecured to lower cross members 7070 and a plurality of vertical framemembers 7272. The rotation actuating mechanism 74 is housed between theupper and lower support plates and this portion of the support frame isenclosed with suitable sheet material 76-76. As can also be seen in theFigures, the supporting platform may be secured to the frame of asuitable mobile carrier.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drive shaft 14 extends throughpositioning sleeve 78, which sleeve is welded or otherwise secured toupper support plate 64, and through an opening in both the upper andlower support plates and is held in place with securing sleeve 80.Bearings, not shown, are provided, as required, to minimize frictionbetween the moving surfaces.

As can best be seen in FIG. 4, rotation arm 82 is secured to the lowerportion of drive shaft 14. The rotation arm 82 is, in turn, pivotallysecured to piston 84 of rotation actuating means 74. In the embodimentillustrated, the rotation actuating means is a two-way hydrauliccylinder which is itself pivotally mounted on a suitable bracket 86.Other rotation means such as the horizontally opposed piston, rack andpinion actuators manufactured by Flo-Torq, Inc. and Ohio OscillatorCompany, Inc. could, however, be used.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be seen that a fixed sprocket 88is keyed or otherwise secured to upper portion of positioning sleeve 78while a rotatable sprocket 90 is keyed or otherwise secured to the lowerportion of follower shaft 16. The two sprockets are connected with drivechain 92, the path of which is defined by a plurality of idler sprockets94-94. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the idler sprockets 94-94 are securedto and extend downwardly from the lower side of primary boom 6. As willbe pointed out more fully hereinafter, the connection of the primary andsecondary booms 6 and 8 in this manner results in the rotation of saidsecond element with shaft 16 as said first element is rotated with driveshaft 14.

In the embodiment illustrated, the supporting platform,62 has beensecured to the frame 96 of a truck having a low-packer plate body 98.Except for the modification required for securing the supportingplatform to the frame, the truck is otherwise of a standard design knownin the prior art. In the embodiment illustrated, the frame 96 has beenextended such that the support platform can be positioned between thepacker blade body 98 and the cab 100. It will, of course, be appreciatedthat a similar result could be obtained by shortening the packer body98. Moreover, a suitable adjustment in rotary element lengths and theprovision of a suitable reinforcing structure would permit thescissortype boom to be secured directly to the body 98 or the cab 100.

In the embodiment heretofore described and illustrated, rotation of thedrive shaft 14, the extension of member 10, the positioning of elevationcontrol member 12, and the opening and closing of basket 22 are effectedhydraulically. Details relating to the hydraulic system as well as itscontrol have been omitted from the drawings, however, for purposes ofclarity. In this regard, it should be noted that it is well within theordinary skill of the art to provide a sequence of supply and returnlines, a reservoir, pumps, accumulators, etc., as well as suitable meansto control the operations heretofore described. Moreover, theseoperations could be readily effected pneumatically or electrically. Inany case, however, the controls therefor will be positioned at or nearthe drivers location so that a single operator can conveniently performthe entire gathering or collecting operation.

In operation, it is anticipated that the apparatus of the presentinvention will be driven slowly along a path removed from one or morerows of commodities or re fuse to be gathered thereby. When theapparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is employed to collect refuse, theapparatus will be driven along a path generally equidistant from theopposed street curbs and the scissor-type boom rotated and extended soas to collect the refuse positioned along said curbs. Generally, a soleoperator will be able to drive the mobile carrier and operate thescissor-type boom from a control panel positioned at or near the driversstation. As the mobile carrier moves along its intended path, its motionwill generally be halted when it reaches a pick-up or collecting point.At this point, rotation actuating means 74 will be energized such thatpiston 84 is either extended or retracted thereby imparting a rotarymotion to drive shaft 14. As will be readily apparent, when the pistonis extended, the motion of the drive shaft will be counterclockwise,when viewed from above, while retraction will impart a clockwise motion.Motion in both directions is, of course, illustrated with broken linesin FIG. 4. As will also be readily apparent, the extent of the rotationwill depend upon the particular rotary actuator employed as well as theparticular rotation arm and its linkage to the rotary actuation.Generally, however, a rotation of to rotate through an angle of to theright of center of the mobile carrier 4. It will, of course, beappreciated that the rotation of primary boom 6 could be stopped at anyangle between 0 and the angle of maximum rotation, in this case 60, suchas the position illustrated with broken lines in FIG. 7. Moreover, thesecondary boom 8 could be lowered at anyone of these several positionsand refuse or the like picked-up by the basket thereat.

As can also be seen in FIG. 7, as primary boom 6 rotates with driveshaft 14, there is a corresponding rotation of secondary boom 8 withfollower shaft 16 due to the action of chain 92 on sprocket 90. Theextent of the rotation of the secondary boom will, of course, dependupon the size ratio between fixed sprocket 88 and rotary sprocket 90. Inthe embodiment illustrated, this ratio is 3: l and as can be seen in theFigure, this results in an opposite rotation of the secondary boom 8through an angle three times as great as the angle of rotation of theprimary boom 6. When the primary boom 6 has rotated through an angle of60 then, the secondary boom 8 will have rotated with follower shaft 16and the two booms will extend outwardly from the drive shaft 14 in astraight line. This is, of course, the most convenient position of theboom for gathering or collecting refuse or the like with basket 22.Moreover, and in a preferred embodiment as shown, the combined length ofrotary elements 6 and 8 will be sufficient to permit the free end 18 ofsecondary boom 8 to extend beyond any cars which might be parked alongthe curb. In this way, elevation control member 12 may then be pivotedabout lateral axis 20 and the refuse retrieved without striking any suchparked cars. Notwithstanding this advantage, however, and as has alreadybeen noted, a pick-up could be made at anyone of the several positionswithin the range of basket 22.

Once the scissor-type boom is properly positioned for a pick-up, furtheradjustment of the basket position may be effected by activating cylinder58 to thereby extend extension member 10. With the basket thus properlypositioned, the same may then be opened with motor 26 and lowered so asto enclose the material to be retrieved. At this point, the basket willthen be closed and returned to the neutral or discharge position byreversing the sequence previously described.

With the basket returned to the neutral position, the gathered materialmay be discharged into the receiving portion 102 of the truck body byopening basket 22. Guides 104-104 facilitate the positioning of therefuse or other material in front of packer plate 106. The sliding ofpacker plate 106 along track 108 will then transfer the gatheredmaterial to the aft portion of the truck body. When the packer plate isreturned to its forward position, the gathering and discharge cycle maybe repeated.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the operating sequence employedto position the basket 22 into both the pick-up and discharge positionsis not critical, and hence, that the basket may be partially orcompletely open before extension of the boom is started or completed.Similarly, the basket may be at least partially lowered before the boomhas been extended to the pick-up position. Moreover, retraction of theboom could be started before the basket has been lifted. In a preferredembodiment, however, the return of the boom to the neutral or dischargeposition, the discharge of the gathered refuse or the like into thereceiving portion of the truck body, and the packing thereof will befully automated. Moreover, the basket will, preferably, be fully liftedduring both the positioning operations so as to afford maximum clearanceto other vehicles which may wish to pass during these operations as wellas any vehicles which may be parked along the curb. This automaticretraction will, of course, free the operator to begin movement of thevehicle to the next collection point during retraction, thereby furtherreducing the overall cycle time.

In general, the boom portion of the apparatus of the present inventionmay comprise any number of rotary elements greater than two. Moreover,each element may be of essentially any length so long as the combinedlength of all elements is sufficient to provide the desired boomextension for any given purpose or purposes. It should be noted,however, that as the number of such elements increases, positioning ofthe gathering or collecting means becomes increasingly difficult. It is,therefore, preferred that the boom comprise two rotary elementsinterconnected in the manner heretofore described and illustrated. Sucha boom arrangement has the further advantage of positioning thegathering or collecting means to the aft of the operator while the sameis in both the neutral and discharge positions. As a result, the forwardvisibility of the operator is not obstructed, as it would be withforward mounted boom arrangements and/or with boom arrangements thatresult in dumping forward of the operator. In a most preferredembodiment and when the two rotary element boom is secured to a lowpacker plate body truck, it is preferred that the full extension of theboom, including the elevation control member and the extension member,when in use, be from about 20 to about 30 feet.

As has been noted, supra, the boom portion of the present inventioncould be secured to still other mobile carriers and the resultingapparatus employed to gather commodities such as fruits and vegetablesas well as refuse or other materials such as hay. Such an arrangement isillustrated in FIG. 8. Referring then to FIG. 8, there is shown anapparatus comprising a scissor-type boom 2 operably secured to a mobilecarrier, in this case, an otherwise conventional tractor 5. Since theboom and the manner in which it is secured to the mobile carrier areidentical, except as is hereinafter pointed out, to that previouslydescribed with reference to FIGS. 1-7, the same reference numerals havebeen employed to identify the same components. Moreover, since thestructure and function of common components is the same as has beenpreviously described, these will not be repeated hereinafter except asis required to point out the differences between the two embodiments. I

As can be seen in the Figure then, the support platform 62 has beensecured to an extended frame 110 of I an otherwise conventional trailer112. As can be seen in the Figure, the trailer 112 is connected to andmay be towed by tractor 5 in a conventional manner. In the embodimentillustrated, the scissor-type boom 2 is secured to the support platform62 in the same manner as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that it isslidably mounted thereon. In this regard, and as can best be seen inFIGS. 9 and 10, it should be noted that central portions 114 and 1 16 ofupper and lower plates 64 and 68, respectively, are secured togetherwith braces 1 18-1 18 and are free to slide in grooves 120-120. Alateral sliding motion may be imparted with hydraulic cylinder 122,which cylinder is secured to cross member at one end and to centralportion 1 16 through piston 124 on the other.

In operation, the basket or other gathering means 22, which may eitherbe covered or uncovered, will be positioned, with suitable controlsdisposed near the operator, in the same manner as previously described.The discharge, however, will be modified, slightly, since the trailer112 does not comprise a receiving section or means for transferring thegathered materials from front to back. In this regard, it should benoted that the basket 22 may be positioned for purposes of dumping atany point along the trailer bed by extending the piston 124 and/or byextending extension member 10 to the rear of said trailer.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that the apparatus of the presentinvention is well suited for gathering or collecting various commoditiesand/or refuse or the like. Moreover, while the present invention hasbeen described by reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will beapparent that the same lends itself to many modifications andvariations. Accordingly, reference should be made solely to the appendedclaims to determine the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described and illustrated the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for gathering or collecting various commodities, refuseand the like comprising: a scissortype boom having at least two elementsrotatable about a vertical axis; an elevation control member secured tothe free end of said scissor-type boom; a telescopic extension memberslidably secured within said elevation member said elevation controlmember being pivotal about a horizontal axis; means for retrieving oneor more commodities, refuse or the like, said means for retrieving beingoperably secured to the free end of said telescopic extension member;and a mobile carrier having said scissor-type boom rotatably securedthereto.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scissor-type boom comprises afirst rotatable element and a second rotatable element, said first andsecond rotatable elements being operably interconnected such thatrotation of said first element results in a corresponding rotation ofsaid second element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scissor-type boom is rotatablymounted on a support platform, which platform is secured to said mobilecarrier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said mobile carrier is a low packerplate body truck modified so as to carry said'support platform betweenthe cab and the body.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 including means to slide the rotatablemounted scissor-type boom with respect to said support platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mobile carrier is a tractor andsaid support platform is secured to the frame of a trailer disposedbehind and secured to said tractor.

1. An apparatus for gathering or collecting various commodities, refuseand the like comprising: a scissor-type boom having at least twoelements rotatable about a vertical axis; an elevation control membersecured to the free end of said scissor-type boom; a telescopicextension member slidably secured within said elevation member saidelevation control member being pivotal about a horizontal axis; meansfor retrieving one or more commodities, refuse or the like, said meansfor retrieving being operably secured to the free end of said telescopicextension member; and a mobile carrier having said scissor-type boomrotatably secured thereto.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidscissor-type boom comprises a first rotatable element and a secondrotatable element, said first and second rotatable elements beingoperably interconnected such that rotation of said first element resultsin a corresponding rotation of said second element.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein said scissor-type boom is rotatably mounted on a supportplatform, which platform is secured to said mobile carrier.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 3 wherein said mobile carrier is a low packer platebody truck modified so as to carry said support platform between the caband the body.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 including means to slide therotatable mounted scissor-type boom with respect to said supportplatform.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mobile carrier is atractor and said support platform is secured to the frame of a trailerdisposed behind and secured to said tractor.